distinctive

Distinctive Women: 2019

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Pa. teams with IRS to warn residents of common tax-season scams

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8211; Mookie Wilson had an eventful trip to Northeastern Pennsylvania on Friday.</p><p>He had an early morning flight scheduled to leave from Charlotte, N.C., and he expected to be in Wilkes-Barre in plenty of time to serve as keynote speaker for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick&#8217;s 74th annual dinner.</p><p>However, Wilson&#8217;s flight was cancelled, and he had to fly standby, not arriving to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International airport until 6 p.m.</p><p>That delayed the start of the event by more than hour.</p><p>&#8220;I must say, you have no idea how happy I am to be here tonight,&#8221; Wilson joked. &#8220;I left home at 5 a.m. this morning, and I arrived here at 6 p.m. And I want you to know, due to the beautiful experience I had &#8230;</p><p>&#8220;I ain&#8217;t coming back.&#8221;</p><p>Despite the late start, the former New York Mets star delighted the crowded ballroom at the Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel and Conference Center with a speech drawing on his experience from his life and 12-year major league career.</p><p>It was a speech delivered with the same enthusiasm and smile that Wilson, 63, was famous for while playing baseball and delivered laughs as big as some of the hits he delivered in his playing days.</p><p>&#8220;As you get older you don&#8217;t appreciate air travel as you used to,&#8221; Wilson said, continuing to discuss his travel woes. &#8220;When I first started flying, I was the happiest guy in the world. But now you got to sit. I&#8217;m only 5-9 and my knees are killing me.</p><p>&#8220;They shrunk the planes.&#8221;</p><p>Wilson, naturally, touched on a number of other subjects than air travel. Among them:</p><p>&#8226; He said when he first was called up to the New York Mets from the minor leagues in 1980, he was surprised the team was as bad as it was.</p><p>&#8220;I wanted to go back down,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We had Dave Kingman in left field, and old Rusty Staub in right field. And I don&#8217;t know who at first base.</p><p>&#8220;And I&#8217;m in center field thinking what am I doing here.&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; He lauded the Friendly Sons for being an organization concerned about the future and the club&#8217;s leadership.</p><p>&#8220;One thing I learned about sports is that all successful teams have what you call a culture,&#8221; Wilson said. &#8220;Now culture don&#8217;t happen over night. It takes years to develop that good culture. &#8230;</p><p>&#8220;If you have been around for 74 years, you guys have been doing something right.&#8221;</p><p>&#8226; As to the most important advice he&#8217;s passed along to his son, former big league star Preston Wilson, or anyone for that matter: &#8220;All you can ever do, is do your best,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And sometimes your best isn&#8217;t good enough.</p><p>&#8226; He said as an ordained minister, his greatest joy comes from preaching the scripture and encouraged those in attendance to help make positive changes in their community.</p><p><strong>Buckner ball</strong></p><p>Of course, Wilson is best known for helping the Mets win the 1986 World Series and that slow ground ball that got through Buckner&#8217;s legs in Game Six.</p><p>Wilson was asked what was going through his mind as he watched the ball go through Bill Buckner&#8217;s legs. With apologies to Bishop Joseph Bambera and other priests at the head table, Wilson told the story.</p><p>&#8220;Once the score was tied, I&#8217;m feeling pretty good because I can&#8217;t screw up,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Wilson said he got a pitch that was perfect for him, one that he would typically hit for a triple.</p><p>&#8220;I took my best swing. The only thing about it is I got a little happy and I rolled over it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And when I rolled over it I said something I shouldn&#8217;t have said. And it wasn&#8217;t a big word either &#8230; four letters. The ball goes so slow it took forever for that ball to get to first base, and I&#8217;m watching and I&#8217;m running. And Bill goes over and ball rolls between his legs &#8230;</p><p>&#8220;And I say that same word again.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Former outfielder for the 1986 World Champion New York Mets Mookie WIlson, center, says the Pledge of Allegiance at the head table at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick annual dinner at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL031619Mookie_2-1-1-3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Former outfielder for the 1986 World Champion New York Mets Mookie WIlson, center, says the Pledge of Allegiance at the head table at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick annual dinner at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL031619Mookie_1-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Former outfielder for the 1986 World Champion New York Mets Mookie Wilson is introduced as the keynote speaker at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick annual dinner at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_TTL031619Mookie_1-4.jpg</photo1><caption1>Former outfielder for the 1986 World Champion New York Mets Mookie Wilson is introduced as the keynote speaker at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick annual dinner at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Soprano</p><p>jsoprano@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Ex-Met Wilson delights crowd at Greater WB Friendly Sons dinner